CARBON TAX TO EXPORT 6,400 AUSTRALIAN TOURISM JOBS: REPORT

The Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Tourism, Bob Baldwin, has challenged Julia Gillard to call an election to let 6,400 workers in the tourism industry say no to losing their jobs.

“Labor’s carbon tax won’t clean up the environment, but it will clear out airport arrival halls,” Mr Baldwin said.

“The tourism industry is doing it tough and operators and their employees deserve a government committed to helping, not hindering its recovery.

“As I move around the country talking with tourism operators about how we can help get the industry back to its best, operators are telling me they can’t understand why Ms Gillard wants to make matters worse by putting another tax on their industry.

“Labor says Australia’s top 50 polluters will wear the brunt of Ms Gillard’s carbon tax.

“Well at number 22 is Qantas and at number 42 is Virgin Australia and between them they carry 91% of the tourists around Australia.

“Airlines, especially in the leisure market, don’t have the capacity to simply absorb the cost of Labor’s carbon tax and it will be passed on to the travelling public.

“It’s no wonder Martin Ferguson, the Minister for Tourism and a member of Ms Gillard’s Cabinet, said a carbon tax, ‘would have us kill the Australian aviation industry both domestically and internationally.’1

“Labor’s carbon tax will also mean higher electricity prices for tourism operators and electricity is already the single largest input cost after wages in our hotels.

“The added cost of Labor’s carbon tax is the last thing the tourism industry needs at a time when it is dealing with the challenges of a high Australian dollar.

“Today we see the release of a research report that shows what the consequence of Labor's carbon tax will be – 6,400 jobs lost in the tourism industry, with regional Australia hardest hit.

“My message to Ms Gillard is: let the celebrities say yes but call an election to let our tourism workers say no to your toxic carbon tax,” Mr Baldwin said.